January 2011

Upon my supervisor’s request, I attended an event last week at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) here in Washington, D.C.; it was the launch of a report titled “Local Justice in Southern Sudan”, documenting the local judicial systems in southern Sudan ahead of January’s referendum for southern secession. Glancing at the title (and length) of the report, I anticipated a tedious and bore-inducing presentation, and filled my coffee cup to the brim in preparation for the hours ahead. I took a seat in the front row, because presumably falling asleep would be difficult if the speakers were in close proximity.

Upon sitting down, however, the event became tremendously more exciting, and my fears of falling asleep mid-discussion were nulled. The reason for this sudden change of heart? Occupying the seat next to me was none other than Dr. Akec Khoc Acieu, the Sudanese ambassador to the United States.

The United States has responded to China’s rapid growth as an economic power by taking a soft-line diplomatic approach. This is to ensure the U.S. access to China’s economic resources. While China holds a significant portion of Americans debt, the U.S. is one of the largest buyers of Chinese exports. Thus, the U.S. hopes to maintain friendly and productive economic relations with China so as to not disturb the symbiosis between them. While urging China to be responsible with its newfound economic power, the Obama administration simultaneously seeks to maintain a peaceful dialogue and build up strong bilateral cooperation. Notably, the Obama administration has enhanced the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue forum. However, while the U.S. wants to ensure China continues to by up American debt, it is wary of China’s increasing influence over the both the U.S. and the international community.

The United States’ desire to support its own economy while preserving economic relations with China has driven U.S. encouragement of China to revalue its currency to market exchange rate values. China has kept its currency, the renminbi, below market-determined value to persuade other countries to buy Chinese goods. However, as China maintains a high economic growth rate in the globalized economy where most economies are all interdependent, the undervalued renminbi has thrown off the monetary balance between countries. It also means that investment in the Chinese economy is not worth as much as it should be.

Over the past year, eleven individuals were killed in the southern Swedish city of Malmö. These victims were seemingly targeted due to the darkness of their skin. For long-term residents of Sweden, these attacks were alarming, but not new.

In the 1990s, John “Laserman” Ausonius carried out a similar slew of attacks. The same year, the anti-immigrant political party, New Democracy (Ny Demokrati), gained entrance into parliament. Over the past year, eleven individuals were killed in the southern Swedish city of Malmö. These victims were seemingly targeted due to the darkness of their skin. For long-term residents of Sweden, these attacks were alarming, but not new.

In the 1990s, John “Laserman” Ausonius carried out a similar slew of attacks. The same year, the anti-immigrant political party, New Democracy (Ny Demokrati), gained entrance into parliament. (Ny Demokrati)

Similarly, these attacks have tailed the Sweden Democrat’s (Sverige Demokraterna) official entrance onto the national scene, with their election to the parliament. The Sweden Democrats have largely campaigned on the need to cut immigration to Sweden and reinvigorate a sense of Swedish identity. Taking a step back, these developments can be seen as the culmination of many failed integration policies, a reinforcement of immigrant stereotypes through the media, and a recent politicization of the implication of immigration.

Among provisions that the Sweden Democrats have put forth in parliament is legislation that would curb the reception of immigrants and refugees by 95% as well as policies that would make it exceedingly difficult for immigrants to be reunited with their families. Additionally, Sweden Democrats are pushing for forcible repatriation of refugees, much like Denmark’s stringent refugee policies.

The Sweden Democrats have succeeded in simplifying and condensing societal problems that challenge each nation, creating a one-dimensional party line that works on the basis of a delineated in-group and out-group. Working off of the immigrant stereotype promulgated by the media, the party has opportunistically crafted a platform that appeals to a small but significant portion of the Swedish population. Their success can perhaps be attributed to the unique state of both Swedish and global affairs via the current wave of Islamophobia, fear of home-grown terrorism, the state of the Swedish job market, and the deteriorating welfare state. For this reason, they have been seen as an alternative—a party that provides a new and radical change to timeless problems.

Sweden Dems Seek Quick Fix to Complex Problems was last modified: January 7th, 2011 by thegeneration

Do you remember the first time you watched a foreign film? Did it give you a new perspective on another culture? Did it show you that filmmakers exist outside of the Hollywood studio system? Were you annoyed by the subtitles? On December 26, North Koreans at long last received the opportunity to make these judgments.

Overshadowed last month by the ubiquitous “Best of the Year” recaps that pervade newspapers and magazines every December was the news that, for the first time, North Koreans watched a Western film on state-run television. The film in question is the 2002 British soccer movie, Bend It Like Beckham (starring a then up-and-coming Keira Knightley). The movie was ostensibly shown to celebrate the tenth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and North Korea. Despite appearing in an edited form, the historical importance of this event cannot be understated. Those North Koreans fortunate enough to possess televisions are subjected to a deluge of regime-produced propaganda. The exhibition of such a film gives the citizens of the Hermit Kingdom an unprecedented window to the outside world.